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Landscape Architect

Landscaping: Karen Sumek, San Diego, CA
  Book This Career Mentorship
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When you look at a patch of weeds do you see how the right landscaping could transform it into something beautiful? Does a trip to the nursery inspire you to sketch out a plan to redesign your entire backyard and the neighbor’s yard, too? Maybe it’s time to take a break from the workday rut and learn what it really means to create an outdoor environment on a VocationVacations® dream job holiday as a landscape architect with Karen Sumek.


Karen’s career as a landscape architect began at Texas A&M University where she earned a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree. Her studies took her to the architectural wonders of Italy where she also met her future husband, a California native and fellow student. They chose sunny San Diego as their base to pursue Karen’s love for creating livable outdoor spaces.

Early in her professional life, Karen worked on a wide variety of prestigious commercial projects including Disneyland, Queensway Bay in Long Beach and a very unusual assignment, the La Brea Tar Pits. While she enjoyed the challenges of these large scale endeavors, she also recognized that smaller, private gardens were of great importance to her and over time, began to focus exclusively on custom residential landscaping solutions.

“Everyone can afford to have their yard look great,” says Karen, and her careful design work insures solutions that respect the environment and clients’ budgets.

Today, in addition to her very busy practice, Karen enjoys sharing what she knows by teaching several landscape design classes at Cuyamaca College. She appreciates being part of a community college program that often includes students who are coming into the field as a second career.

On a VocationVacation with Karen, you will have an opportunity to harness your creativity, smarts and people skills all at the same time, as you get hands-on experience. Put on your work boots and help Karen measure, photograph and analyze a new job site. Meet with her clients and see how to handle presentations. Create your own sketches and designs for the project while Karen shows you a few hand drafting tricks. You’ll quickly see why she says “putting together the puzzle” is what it’s all about.

In addition, Karen will show you exactly what it takes to run a successful small business, the various educational paths to get there, requirements for licensing and the best resources for ongoing education and professional development. Depending on your specific interests, Karen will introduce you to other educators in the field, arrange for you to sit in on classes as available, and visit with working landscape architects in the San Diego area.

Spending a few days with Karen on a VocationVacation will give you the insider perspective on the landscape architecture profession and an opportunity to enjoy the pleasures of Southern California.

While on your Landscape Architect VocationVacations® dream job holiday with Karen Sumek, activities will include some or all of the following:
  • Meet with a residential client in one phase during the landscape design process (initial meeting, presentation and review of conceptual plan, or presentation of final plans).
  • Review examples of the various portions of a residential landscape design (site plan, site analysis, conceptual design, conceptual elevations, construction documents- hardscape plans, hardscape details, drainage plans, irrigation plans, planting plans, lighting plans).
  • Learn basics of a site analysis and skills required to prepare a site plan
  • Discuss AutoCAD and resources for finding land information
  • Prepare a conceptual landscape design. Be introduced to basic hand drafting drawing skills.
  • Review and discuss contract documents, client questionnaires, business portions of running a landscape design or landscape architecture practice.
  • Visit a Cuyamaca College Landscape Design class, or Ornamental Horticulture class dependant upon the vacationer’s interests and availability.
  • Review the coursework required for a landscape design degree (Associates level) versus a landscape architecture degree (Bachelors degree) and landscape architecture licensure. Discuss other certifications available for people working as landscape designers.
  • Visit the Water Conservation Garden and discuss the elements of a sustainable landscape.
  • Visit a larger commercial landscape architecture firm in San Diego
The Landscape Architect VocationVacations® dream job holiday with Karen Sumek includes:
  • Two days of one-on-one mentorship in your dream job as a Landscape Architect
  • The opportunity to participate in a total of one hour of pre- and post- VocationVacations career coaching from an accredited, affiliated VocationVacations career coach
  • A pocket-size VocationVacations journal so you can document your dream job coming to reality
  • Light lunches with your mentor

Available: Monday - Friday, Labor Day through Memorial Day based on Mentor's availability

Price: $1099 Per Person

Book This Career Mentorship


Suggested Accommodations

Hotel Parisi

Hilton San Diego
(Not included in the price of your VocationVacations® dream job holiday)

Other activities and tourist destinations while on your VocationVacations® dream job holiday:

Reservation, Cancellation and Rescheduling Rules and Conditions:

Full payment of the VocationVacations dream job holiday is required to make a reservation. A $100 non-refundable fee is assessed if a VocationVacations experience is cancelled or rescheduled prior to 14-days of the scheduled VocationVacations holiday, based on the approved availability of the mentor to reschedule. A VocationVacations adventure cannot be rescheduled and is non-refundable if cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled VocationVacations holiday. Written notification of cancellation or rescheduling is required in all cases. In the US, Grounded Nomads, LLC and VocationVacations holidays encourage all customers to acquire travel insurance to cover any unforeseen expenses due to cancellation or rescheduling. In the UK, Grounded Nomads, Ltd and VocationVacations holidays must require all customers to acquire travel insurance to cover any unforeseen expenses due to cancellation or rescheduling and provide verification of such travel insurance to Grounded Nomads, Ltd.